Eleven years ago, when a new president was appointed at the university where I served as Vice President of University Advancement, I knew my days were numbered. I also knew that I should get the word out to my networks that I was, in Susan Scott, the author of Fierce Conversations words, “available to industry.” But I could not get my heart around the idea of going elsewhere where I would—again—have to get up every single day, drive to the same office and interact with the same people. It was beyond me.

What, then, I thought, could I do? Retirement really wasn’t in the cards, but at 60, I wasn’t sure I wanted to start all over again in a new career.

What to do?

I started visualizing how I would like to spend my days.

It quickly became obvious to me that (a) I needed to be my own boss, (b) I didn’t want to deal with staff and (c) I wanted to control my own time.

As a consultant, I got (a) and (b); (c) not so much, but hey, you can’t have it all.

As a fundraiser, I used to visualize what I wanted my relationships with my prospects and donors to look like—and then created plans that nurtured that.

While some donors fit into several categories, what the relationship was with an annual, major and planned gift donor, was different, and required different levels and types of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

Annual donors, because I was counting on them to make gifts year after year, required touches over each and every month of the year. As a donor myself, I knew that the key to donor attrition was to only pay attention when asking for a gift. I needed to figure out how to reach out and educate, inform, and thank these donors on an ongoing basis.

The size of the gift did matter. Those who gave smaller gifts got more arm’s length attention. Those whose gifts were larger got more personal attention. And those I felt were ready to move up to larger gifts, got very special, very personal care.

Major gift prospects—those I was courting for a singular gift (perhaps over a number of years) for a specific purpose—needed a plan that would engage them over the time it took to solicit the gift, and then a way to ensure that they forever felt that being a major donor was the best thing that ever happened to them. Typically, this meant figuring out ways to make them feel that they were insiders and ensuring that they had access to the people and programs that motivated them. Unlike annual plans, which were created once a year, major gift plans were ongoing for as long as the cultivation and solicitation lasted. And then the focus was on stewardship—reactive, thanking them for their gift and proactive, looking forward to the next.

Planned giving was a whole different thing. There were the annual donors who might—if educated—remember us in their trust or will. And then there were the bigger donors who might leave us valuable personal or real property; make us the beneficiary of a remainder trust or charitable annuity. Or they might use other planned giving vehicles to make us part of their estate planning.

For these planned giving prospects, there was ongoing marketing, educating them about the purpose, need, impact of a planned gift. And then there were the donors who needed support as they planned how they would remember us—and we would remember them—in the future.

By visualizing how we would interact, I could see where I needed to go and what I had to do. And in that way, I could visualize and then realize, stronger support for my organization.

Janet Levine Consulting helps nonprofits to visualize and then to plan their future. Learn more at www.janetlevineconsulting.com While there, sign up for the newsletter and contact Janet for a free 30-minute consultation

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About janetlevineconsulting

For over 20 years, Janet Levine has worked for and with nonprofit and educational organizations, helping to grow their advancement programs. Her consulting company, Janet Levine Consulting, serves a wide range of organizations from small, all-volunteer agencies to major national organizations. She regularly teaches courses in non-profit management, fundraising and grant development, both face-to-face and online at http://courses.lmlearningstation.com/.
In addition to her nonprofit work, Janet brings years of experience as a business and sales manager in the for-profit sector. She has an MBA from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University.

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Too Busy To Fundraise

Too Busy To Fundraise, a blog from Janet Levine Consulting, offers insights and information on fundraising, marketing and communications for every one who needs to raise funds for a nonprofit organization.

For over thirty years, Janet Levine has served the nonprofit sector, helping organizations to increase their fundraising capacity and create stronger boards. Starting in 1988 as Director of Corporate Relations for USC’s Engineering School, Janet worked as a front line fundraiser, ultimately becoming VP of Advancement at a public university.In 2007, Janet opened her consulting business.Her many clients have ranged from large to small, representing all areas of the sector.Janet Levine Consulting prides itself on taking nonprofits “from mired to inspired,” better able to fulfill their missions.

In addition to her consulting and coaching practice, Janet is a much sought after presenter at conferences, a regular trainer for such organizations as the Center for Nonprofit Management, Academy Go, and the The Nonprofit Partnership.She teaches three online classes for Ed2Go and has been on the faculty at UCLA’s fundraising certificate program.